Japan World Music

Pun & Song & Chili

Background & History
of Japan Music
 Traditional Music of Japan
● Traditional Japanese music loosely are adapted from neighboring
countries such as China, Korea, and Indonesia.
● Japanese music has evolved to integrate Western musical styles such as
jazz, rock, reggae, and ska.
 Three Types of Traditional
Japanese music
✢ Theatrical
○ Theatrical is the music form that is played along with
Japanese traditional plays for entertainment.

✢ Court music
○ The elegant music associated with court and for
entertaining Imperial family.
✢ Instrumental
○ It is the music of Japan that uses traditional Japanese
instruments with Traditional Japanese musicians and
sometimes collaborate with modern Western music.
Genres
 Japanese Traditional Music (Hogaku)
1. Gagaku - The oldest type, Ancient court music and dance heritage from China
2. Biwagaku - music performed Biwa, string instrument
3. Nohgaku - music during Noh, a musical drama since 14th century, consists of chorus,
Hayashi flute, Tsuzumi drum, other instrument
 Biwagaku
Gagaku Nohgaku
4. Sokyoku - music by Koto,zither with 13 strings
5. Shakuhachi - music by Shakuhachi, bamboo flute 55cm
6. Shamisenongaku - music by Shamisen, guitar 3 strings
7. Minyo - Japanese Folk Song, celebrating or festival,
origin in different parts of the country
 Sokyoku Shakuhachi

Shamisenongaku Minyo
Outside Influences
Neighbors’ influences
✢ China
○ Using Korea as a bridge, Chinese music
influences had entered to Japan.
○ Dōtaku bronze bells, discovered in the
Yayoi period (300 BCE - 250 CE), were the
evidence that suggest the adoption of
Chinese metallurgy.
Outsiders’ influences
✢ Western music
○ Late 19th and early 20th, Japan opened up
to newly genre, enka (Japanese version of
American country ballads) or Kayokyoku
which later evolved into J-pop.

○ 1960s to 1970s, rock and roll had taken

over the world, thus influenced J-rock to
the Japanese music scene.
Music Instruments
Taiko (Percussion Instrument)
✢ In Japanese, the word taiko (太鼓) is
used to talk about drums in general.
✢ The earliest evidence of drumming
in Japan is a clay figure (haniwa) of a
man beating a drum, found in
Gunma prefecture, that dates back
to the 6th or 7th centuries.
✢ Used to motivate troops, call out
orders or announcements, and set a
marching pace.
Shakuhachi (Wind Instrument)
✢ The name shakuhachi means "1.8
shaku", referring to its size.
✢ Japanese end-blown flute
✢ Arrived in Japan in 8th century
from China
✢ It is traditionally made of bamboo
with 5 finger holes, but now it is
made from hardwood.
✢ It was used by the monks of the Zen
Buddhism in the practice of suizen
(breathing meditation).
Shamisen (String Instrument)
✢ Shamisen (三味線) means "three
strings"
✢ It has a very long neck and is about
30 inches (one meter) long, the
main material is wood, covered
with animal skin, the fingerboard
and the body can be separated.
✢ Shamisens have been used in Japan
since at least the 17th century, and
they commonly make appearances
in traditional Japanese music.
Koto(String Instrument)
✢ Koto (箏) is derived from the Chinese zheng
✢ Japan’s national instrument
✢ To play the instrument, the strings are plucked using three finger picks
✢ first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th century
Uses of Japanese instruments in modern music.
Uses of Music
Uses of Music
✢ Use in cultural performance such as Noh, Kabuki
Uses of Music
✢ Use in religion as an offerings to various gods.

Kagura
Uses of Music

Use in popular festival such as Yosakoi Festival.

Types of
Songs & Styles
 Types of songs & styles
✢ Shomyo: Buddhist chanting
✢ Imayo (modern): Started off with a shorten form of
Shomyo.
○ Form: four lines, each with units of seven plus five
syllables.
○ It disappeared not long after the end of the Heian
period.
○ The method of singing the texts of Imayo to
the melody of the famous Gagaku piece
"Etenraku" was developed after its re-emerged
in the early Kamakura period.
Imayo
Theory
 Theory
✢ A twelve-tone (dodecaphonic) Chinese scale has
influenced Japanese music since the Heian Period
○ In practice Japanese traditional music is often
based on pentatonic (five tone) or heptatonic
(seven tone) scales.
✢ The Buddhist classical music influence on Japanese
music is found in the theory and practice of
chanting known generically as shomyo.
✢ Japanese gagaku and Buddhist music theories
contain most of the classical Chinese ideas
concerning transpositions and modes.
 References
Britannica, (2015). Japanese Music. Retrieved March 20, 2018, from
https://www.britannica.com/art/Japanese-music
Encyclopedia of Japan, (N. D). Traditional Music of Japan. Retrieved March 20,
2018, from https://doyouknowjapan.com/traditionalmusic/
Japan history music, (N. D). Music in Japan. Retrieved March 20, 2018, from
https://japanhistorymusic.weebly.com/
Music Zone, (N. D). Brief History of Japanese Music. Retrieved March 20, 2018,
from
http://mmusic-zone.blogspot.com/2013/12/brief-history-of-japanese-music.html
Streetdirectory, (N. D). History of Japanese Music. Retrieved March 20, 2018, from
http://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/history-of-japanese-music-ceello.html